Evangelicals Fear the Loss of Their Teenagers

[NVMojo]

Despite their packed megachurches, their political clout and their increasing visibility on the national stage, evangelical Christian leaders are warning one another that their teenagers are abandoning the faith in droves.

At an unusual series of leadership meetings in 44 cities this fall, more than 6,000 pastors are hearing dire forecasts from some of the biggest names in the conservative evangelical movement.

Their alarm has been stoked by a highly suspect claim that if current trends continue, only 4 percent of teenagers will be “Bible-believing Christians” as adults. That would be a sharp decline compared with 35 percent of the current generation of baby boomers, and before that, 65 percent of the World War II generation.

While some critics say the statistics are greatly exaggerated (one evangelical magazine for youth ministers dubbed it “the 4 percent panic attack”), there is widespread consensus among evangelical leaders that they risk losing their teenagers.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/06/us/06evangelical.html?ex=1176609600&en=b29752956653649f&ei=5087&excamp=mkt_at3

[Old and In the Way]

1. They only have themselves to blame.

Kids can figure understand the disconnect between words and deeds.

[pooja]

2. Guess they understand Hypocrisy..

[AlCzervik]

3. there goes the republican base and faith base $$$$ for their churches

[C_U_L8R]

4. A tale as old as time

if they loved their choildren they'd let them be their own people

[bullwinkle428]

5. The megachurches are MELTING...THEY'RE MELTING!!!

Who said that all kids today were brain-dead slackers, incapable of thinking for themselves? This gives me so much hope for the future!

[TechBear_Seattle]

16. Oh, what a world! What a world! n/t

[TexasLawyer]

6. That holier-than-thou stuff is

LAME!

[tblue]

7. Thanks! That's the best news I've heard all day.

[riderinthestorm]

8. Kids doing a 180 from their parents' beliefs

what news!

Be that as it may, there was a lot of speculation that the fundies kids' wouldn't do this - that they would be so indoctrinated after growing up in their cults that they wouldn't leave the fold.

I would love, love, love to see these kids give their parents a big "fuck you"!

[Missy Vixen]

9. It's been happening for a long time

>that they would be so indoctrinated after growing up in their cults that they wouldn't leave the fold.<

I went to a fundie Bible college. There were many of my classmates who showed up at church enough to appease their parents, then did as they liked for the rest of the week.

Julie

[Webster Green]

10. More good news!

All part of "The Great Right-Wing meltdown of '06"!

[mark414]

11. run kids run!

run to freedom and logic and reason!

[ellenfl]

12. so much for the fundies producing more children and turning

this country into a theocracy. i've said it before, some of the kids will rebel. that's the nature of the beast.

ellen fl

[Warren DeMontague]

13. I suspect Most Fundy Churches lose half the kids the minute they tell em

not to masturbate because it's a sin.

Like- Okay, sure. Whatever you say. see ya!

[riderinthestorm]

15. LOL!!! Okay, I've had enough wine. Your post just did me in.

You are so right though. As soon as their parents said this, they lost em.

"Damn, I jacked off last night and my dick's still attached! My parents are lying mother fuckers!"

[SoCalDem]

14. Teenagers like sex, music & fun

They DON'T like preachy, naggy parents :)

Nature "designed" kids to grow apart from their parents. It's normal. So whatever the parents "push", the kids are often likely to do the opposite..if for no other reason than to show their rebellion :)

[TlalocW]

17. I work with a guy who grew up fundamentalist

And an older guy who's a fundy who has teenagers.

The older guy is disappointed in his daughter because she thinks homosexuality is genetic.

The guy who grew up fundy (who's in his early 30s like me) is still pretty religious, but he's a lot more open-minded now he says. He wasn't allowed to watch most movies while growing up, alcohol was forbidden, etc. Now he has a beer or a glass of wine every now and then, and he laughs because I'm the crazy liberal in the office and a complete tea-totaler.

TlalocW

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

18. I guess they just need to polish up their brainwashing techniques a little

and keep their kids even more isolated and disconnected from reality. Because that works so well.